When is the Apple Card coming to Europe? Alternatives for 2024

The Apple Card is currently unavailable to European Citizens, and there are no official plans to roll it out to users outside of the United States. To be eligible to sign up for an Apple Card, you must be a US citizen or be resident in the US with valid proof of address (a P.O. Box address will be insufficient).

Why is the Apple Card not available in Europe?

One of the biggest challenges Apple faces in the European market is the limit on interchange merchant service fees in the EU that the retailer usually bears. These limits are 0.2% for debit cards and 0.3% for credit cards. 

It is not uncommon in the US market for retailers to be charged more than 3% interchange fees, which makes the US market far more lucrative from Apple’s perspective. Many US retailers are, however, willing to accept these excessive rates due to the reputation of Apple customers being more valuable than the average customer.

So, if and when the Apple Card is launched in Europe, it is likely that the features and offers may be different from what is being offered to US customers due to the fundamental differences between how each market operates. 

We think Revolut has the closest product offering to the Apple Card in the US. With Revolut, you can access a debit and credit card, buy now, pay later, cashback offers, and cheap fees. As well as this, Revolut has many other features the Apple Card does not have, such as the ability to invest.

Can US users use the Apple Card in Europe?

While the Apple Card is currently only available to US citizens and residents, this does not stop the card from being abroad in places like Europe and other parts of the world. So yes, US users can still use the Apple card anywhere in the world.

Apple has partnered with Mastercard International to enable the conversion of foreign currency transactions on your card, and  Apple does not charge any additional fees for this service.

Key Features of Apple Cards

The following are some of the key features and benefits of the Apple Card:

• Applications can take as little as one minute
• No setup fees
• No annual fees
• No late fees
• No over-the-limit fees
• No foreign exchange fees
• No account maintenance fees
• 2% daily unlimited cashback
• 3% daily cashback at the Apple store and other vendors such as Nike
• Access to a high-yield savings account with interest rates of 4.15% APY
• You can buy a new iMac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch with a monthly installment plan (interest-free)

It is easy to see why so many Apple customers in Europe are keen to get their hands on an Apple Card. Let us look at some alternative cards currently available in Europe.

Apple Card Alternatives in Europe

Not to worry, we will be taking you through some great alternatives to the Apple Card that are available in Europe in this article:

• Revolut
• N26
• Wise
• Monese
• Bunq

Revolut vs Apple Card

Fintech company Revolut has been growing rapidly since it was founded in 2015; every couple of months, they add new services and features to their platform.

Revolut is suitable for those who travel a lot, go out for meals with friends and regularly need to split bills easily, want access to short-term finance on the go, and have the ability to invest surplus funds.

If you are trying to find a similar service to the Apple Card in Europe, Revolut will tick many boxes, such as cashback offers, credit cards, cheap foreign exchange transactions, savings, and buy now pay later services.

N26 vs Apple Card

N26 has been another great option available in the European market since 2013. With no fx conversion fees for worldwide payments and many features suitable for travellers, an N26 can be a useful travel companion. Both debit and credit cards are available to suit your needs.

The only downside is that you won’t be able to avail of any cashback offers similar to an Apple card, as this feature is restricted to business accounts.

Wise vs Apple Card

Wise are the experts when it comes to moving money internationally. Many other fintech companies partner with Wise to offer international transfers as part of their service.

Wise may be the perfect fit for you if you regularly need to spend while abroad or send/receive money from all over the world. You can order a Wise card in just five minutes and pay just €7 to get up and running; after that, you won’t pay any monthly service fees.

However, Wise may not be the right choice if a credit card option or a buy now pay later feature are most important to you.

Monese vs Apple Card

Monese’s UK customers can enjoy some unique features such as their cashback offers and Credit Builder, which allows you to grow your credit score to make a big purchase of a house or a car. Unfortunately, outside of the UK, Monese has a basic offering for customers compared to the other providers we have discussed in this article.

Monese has no credit card option available, so it does not tick all of the same boxes as the Apple card.

Bunq vs Apple Card

If you are looking for a company that prioritises sustainability to handle your banking, then Bunq may be a great fit. For every €100 you spend, Bunq will plant a tree, and you can track your progress to becoming CO2-free easily through their app.

Also, if you need to stick to a tight budget, Bunq has many tools and features to help you meet your targets.

On the downside, if you want to unlock the majority of Bunq’s features, you must at least sign up for an Easy Money account with a monthly fee of €8.99.

It is unclear if we will see Apple roll out its Apple card in Europe anytime soon, but Apple consumers have some ready-made solutions that can work just as well.

Most accounts and cards discussed in this article are integrated with Apple Pay. Each offering may have some of the equivalent benefits of the Apple card, but you can find a suitable alternative if you can choose the most important features.